Rosette for electric-light wires



(No Model.) G. N. HAMMOND. ROSETTE FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT WIRES. N0.524,109.

Patented Aug 7', 1894.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES N. HAMMOND, OF BOSTON, MASSACHllSETTS R-OSETTE FORELECTRIC-LIGHT WIRES.

PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 524,109, dated August'7, 1894. Application filed December '7, 1893. Serial No. 492,979. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

13s it known that I, CHARLES N. HAMMOND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rosettes forElectric- Llght YVires,of which the following is a specification,reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object to provide an lmproved rosette forelectric wires which shall be adapted to receive a suitable fuse orfuses; shall be simple, durable and of high efficiency and in whichthenumber of parts employed shall be reduced to a minimum.

My invention is fully set forth in the following specification and itsnovel features are pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto.

My invention, as embodiedin the best form now known to me, is shown inthe accompanying drawings to which reference is made in the followingdescription, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view and-Fig. 2 is a sideview of a rosette embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a section lookingdown from line 3- 3 Fig. 2 and showing the fuses in position. Fig. at isa plan view of the removable fuse block showing the reverse side thereoffrom that which is shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a similar view to thatshown in Fig. 3 but with the fuse block removed.

The body of my device, that is the rosette aside from the fuse block andcontact pieces, comprises a base block 1, and a hollow bulb or cap 2;these are preferably shaped as shown, but the precise shape isunimportant, and may be'varied as desired, provided that the base blockextends sufiiciently beyond the bulb or cap to afford a backing orsupport for the feed wire contacts hereinafter referred to.

What I have termed the body of the rosette which is preferably integralthroughout and which comprises the base block and bulb is preferablymade from porcelain which may be molded to the required form and thenfired or baked in the well known manner.

The base block is provided preferably at each end outside the bulb withprojecting portions or lugs 30 in each of which is formed atrough-shaped groove 3, said grooves being provided for the reception ofthe feed Wires,

one of which is shown at 4,Figs..1 and 2. At each end of said base blockand extending to the ends of the lugs 30 and across, or inward from, thetrough-shaped grooves 3 is formed a slot or groove 5, said grooveshaving their inner ends extending toward the center of the base blockand within the cavity of the hollow bulb or cap 2. The said slots 5 arefor the reception of contact pieces 6, which are placed therein andwhich are secured in place by the. screws 7 which pass through threadedholes in said contacts and project into holes or sockets formed in thebase block. Since the ends of the screws 7 project loosely into saidsockets in the base block, endwise movement of the contacts 6 in theirslots is prevented, and the contacts are securely held in positionwithout the aid of additional screws or securing devices. The holes orsockets in question are not threaded to be engaged by the threads of thescrews 7, but are plain holes. The screws 7 also serve as binding screwsto secure the feed wires 4 to the contacts 6.

The bulb 2 is provided with an interior cavity as previously stated, andis also slotted transversely so that the said slot or aperture crossesthe line of the contacts 6 and serves for the reception of the fuseblock 8. This fuse block slot crosses the inner ends of each of thecontacts 6 and is shown in end view at 9, Fig. 2 and by dotted lines 10in Fig. 1. The fuse block is formed preferably from an insulatingcomposition and is provided with four contact pieces shown at 11, 12,13, and 14:, Figs. 3 and 4. Said fuse block is of a size to fit the slot9 snugly and is adapted to be inserted in or withdrawn from the saidslot or aperture. The contact pieces 11 and 13 of the fuse block arefitted snugly in holes formed through said block at each end thereof andthe contacts 12 and 14 are fitted in the same manner in the openings orholes formed at each side of the said fuse block. These contacts are sofitted to the holes which are formed to receive them that when forcedinto the holes they will remain securely therein.

Extending between the contact pieces 11 and 12, and 13 and 14:respectively and on the upper side of the fuse blook, that is the sidewhich is next the base block of the rosette when the fuse block is inposition therein, are

formed tronglrshaped grooves or cavities 15 which are provided for thereception of the fuses 16 which extend between, and are in contact with,the contact pieces 11 and 12, and 13 and 14 respectively. Said contactpieces are provided with binding screws and metal washers in the usualmanner, or they may be provided with any well known binding device forsecuring the fuses in place. \Vhen the fuse block is in position in therosette, the contact pieces 12 and 1e are in operative connection withthe inner ends of the contact pieces 6, previously described.

The bulb 2 is provided preferably at each side thereof with openings 17which enter the interior cavity 18 of the bulb and which are preferablyof the shape shown Fig. 5. In each of these openings a contact piece 19secured, a suitable recess being formed for the reception of each ofthese contact pieces, each contact piece being held in the correspondingrecess by means of a securing screw or other suitable device. If a screwbe employed it may be inserted from the exterior of the bull), thescrews at 20 Fig. 1 being employed for this purpose. The lamp cords 21are passed through a hole in the center of the bulb 2, said cords beingpreferably knottted inside the bulb in order that any strain on thecords may be borne by the knot and not transmitted to the binding screwsor contacts. The ends of said cords are secured by the binding screws 22of the contact pieces 19. When the fuse block is in position, the saidcontact pieces 19 are in operative connection with the contact pieces 11and 13 of said block.

The electrical connection is as follows:- The current may pass in by thefeed wire 1-, thence by the contact piece 6 to the contact piece 12,thence through the fuse 16 to the contact piece 11, thence to thecontact piece 19, thence through one of the lamp cords 21 to the lamp;thence through the other lamp cord to the other contact 19, thencethrough the contact 13 and the other fuse 16 to the contact If, thenceout through the opposite contact 6.

I prefer to construct the fuse block of a sufficient size to projectentirely across the bulb 2, as shown, in which case the slot 9 for thereception of the said block is carried through the bulb from side toside thereof.

It is not, however, essential that said fuse block should extendentirelyacross said bulb,

in which case the slot or opening for its 1'eception would not extendacross the said bulb, but only through one side thereof.

'In case it is deemed necessary springs indicated at 32 may be placedinthe base block in such manner as to bear upon the contact pieces 6, aspring being employed for each contact piece and being placed in acavity or recess provided for its reception in the bottom of the grooves5 of the base block or the grooves may be slightly deepened to receivesaid springs. These springs will operate to force the contacts 6 againstthe fuse block season contacts 12 and 1 1 and thus insure betterelectrical connection between these parts. The force of these springswill also be transmitted to the fuse block and will force its contacts11 and 13 closely against the contact pieces 19 of the bulb, thusinsuring more perfect electrical connection throughout the contactpieces of the device. The holes shown at 33 are for the reception of thesecuring screws by means of which the rosette is sccured to the ceilingor other support to which it is to be applied. These holes pass throughthe solid portion of the body of the rosette and thus do not openiutothe interiorcavity of the bulb.

My invention provides a rosette adapted to contain a fuse or fuseshaving a removable fuse block so that a fuse may be supplied withouttaking the rosette apart or disturbing the lamp or lamps which areconnected therewith. The location of the fuses in the rosette is suchthat they are entirely separated i'roln the lamp cord by an interveningmass of insulating material, so that in case the fuses are burned outneither the lamp cord wires nor their covering will. be destroyed orimpaired. The holes by means of which the rosette is secured in positionon the wall or ceiling pass through the solid body of the rosette, andtherefore cannot form lcadways to convey moisture or the like to anyportion of the electrical connections and short circuiting or the likecannot result from moisture passing through these holes.

by removing the fuse block which may be readily done, the position andcondition of the ends of the lamp cords within the bulb maybe observed,and whetheror not they are knotted, may be easily determined when thefuse block is removed, by simply seizing the lamp cords at a point belowthe bulb and toreing them up slightly thus raising the knot into plainview through the fuse block orifice.

What I claim is- 1. A rosette for electric-light wires having aninternal cavity in the body thereof adapted for the reception of theknot in a lamp-cord, slots extending from the exterior of said body tothe said interior cavity, contact pieces placed in said slots and havingexterior con tacts for the feed-wires, a slot formed transversely ofsaid body communicating with the said feed-wire contact slots at theinner ends of the latter, intersecting the said internal cavity, andalso extending to the exterior of the said body, and a block placed insaid transverse slot having thereon contacts connected by fuses,substantially as described.

2. A rosette for electric light wires having applied to the body thereofexternal contacts for the feed-wires and contacts for the lampcords, andalso having the points of attachment of the lamp cords to the lamp cordcontacts exposed at its exterior, and arranged to enable the lamp cordsto be attached thereto from outside the said body and a removable fuse-block provided with fuse-contacts which are put into operativeconnection with the said feed-wire and lamp-cord contacts by placing thefuse-block in position, substantially as set forth.

'3. A rosette for electric Wires comprising a base block, a hollow bulb,.a removable fuse block and suitable contact pieces, said fuse blockbeing provided with a fuse or fuses located on the opposite side of saidblock from the lamp cords, whereby when a fuse is burned the lamp cordsare protected from injury, substantially as set forth.

4:. A rosette for electric wires comprising a hollow bulb having lugs orprojections eX- terior thereto, with holes or sockets formed therein andhaving feed Wire contacts eX- tending from the exterior of said bulb tothe interior thereof in slots formed for their reception, said feed wirecontacts being held in place in said slots by the ends of the bindingscrews of said contacts, projecting into holes or sockets in the saidlugs and fitting loosely therein, substantially as set forth.

5. A rosette for electric wires having an interior cavity for the endsof the lamp cords, slots opening into said cavity for the feed wirecontact pieces a transverse slot intersecting said cavity for thereception of a fuse block,

a removable fuse block and holes located wholly in the solid part of therosette exterior to the interior cavity and the said slot for thereception of the securing screws, whereby the rosette may be secured inposition, substantially as set forth.

6; A rosette for electric wires, having a removable fuse block andhaving suitable feed wire contacts located on one side of the said fuseblock and suitable lamp cord contacts located on the opposite side ofsaid fuse block, said fuse block being provided with suitable contactpieces and a fuse or fuses, and being arranged between the feed Wire andlamp cord contacts whereby by the insertion of the fuse block electricalconnection is established between the feed wires and the lamp, and atthe same time the body of the fuse block is interposed between the feedwire contacts and the lamp cord contacts substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in I presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES N. HAMMOND.

Witnesses:

WM. A. MACLEOD, CHAS. F. RANDALL.

